Ache
by LSpade
Summary: Season nine. AU. Lois and Clark have this ache. S'all I'm saying.


**New one shot. It's one of my favorite themes! Now, usually I'd give you a gist of what the story entitles, but this one's a mystery. Read on to find out what happens. Takes place between **_**Roulette **_**and **_**Crossfire.**_** This is AU. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Smallville does not belong to me. So sorry to disappoint.**

Lois raced down the steps of the _Daily Planet_, juggling her purse, her coat, and pertinent files on her next big story. She was so absorbed in her notes that she didn't see the man going up the stairs at the same time and collided straight into him.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" she exclaimed, watching her files tumble to the floor from the impact of the two bodies running into each other.

"You're the one not paying attention to your surroundings," said the offender.

Lois looked up to see none other than her bumbling partner, Clark Kent. He was smiling teasingly. They both leaned down to retrieve the scattered papers in the middle of the staircase.

"What happened to using the elevator?" he asked, sliding sheets together under the palm of his hand.

"Stairs are better for cardio," Lois replied curtly. She fumbled with her purse on her right shoulder as she grabbed the files. Clark's hand gently brushed hers and their eyes shot up.

"Elevators are…the safer way to travel," he answered softly, his eyes dropping to her full, glossy lips. "Statistically."

Lois subconsciously licked her lips, leaning forward. "Stairs give me more time," she said. Suddenly, the papers gathered between them on the middle step were forgotten.

"For what?" he asked, their lips mere inches from each other.

Her gaze flickered from his eyes to his lips, eager to feel even the softest brush against hers. Just then, a voice rang from the bullpen. "Lane! Kent! Stories don't write themselves!"

Lois jerked back so quickly, Clark had to wonder if she possessed the ability of super speed. She looked toward the bullpen to see their editor, Randall making his way to his desk. She looked back at Clark with an uncertain expression. He couldn't help but think how cute she looked when she seemed lost.

"Uh, I gotta…umm, there's that story," Lois rambled, snatching up her files. "I have to meet with a source."

"Yeah, uh, okay. I have work to do, too," Clark nodded and stood up when she did.

Lois nodded. These moments seem to happen a lot. All it took was one look, one simple touch, or a joke that had an underlying innuendo. Their feelings were getting harder to deny, but that didn't stop the two from hiding behind lies and fears. They ached for each other. Everyone around them could feel the sexual tension radiating off them, but the only people who couldn't see how perfect they were for each other were Lois and Clark themselves. It was annoying, really. Near misses, such as this almost kiss on the staircase, were becoming more and more frequent every day and they were adding to the tension they so desperately needed to release.

Now, she wouldn't meet his eyes, which he wasn't too surprised by. Whenever they would get close enough that maybe feelings would finally be revealed, she would close off from him. It would only last for so long before Lois would need him to make her smile or laugh or just need him to talk to her. She hated that she depended on Clark to do that for her. Never before would she turn to someone to make her feel important. However, Clark Kent was always different from every other guy she'd met; therefore, she had to keep her distance from him, especially given his never ending devotion to Lana Lang, his ex-girlfriend, who mysteriously vanished without a trace months ago.

"Okay, so, uh…I'm gonna need you to move so I can get to my desk," Lois said, gesturing in the direction of the bullpen.

"Right, sorry," he mumbled, quickly moving out of her way and she descended the steps gracefully, her hair bouncing softly and her hips swaying. Clark couldn't tear his eyes from her backside.

"Stare any harder, Kent, and you'll burn a hole right through her." He looked away to see Riley Turner, a fellow writer, passing him up the stairs.

"What? I wasn't staring," Clark uselessly defended himself.

Riley simply snickered and went on his merry way, leaving a wistful Clark standing in the middle of the staircase. Before he could head to his desk, a cry for help from across the city resonated through his head. He sighed softly, took one last look through the bullpen to see Lois talking on the phone, then blurred away.

(((o)))

Lois bounded the steps happily, a huge grin plastered on her face. She'd just met with her source and the meeting went fantastically. She had enough information to write her story on a dirty funds exchange and that gave her a warm feeling in her chest. While she was thinking of the perfect way to celebrate, Lois made her way to the bullpen. She stopped cold at the entrance when her eyes landed on Clark.

And Lana.

They were standing awfully close. They were angled to where Lois could only see the back of Lana's head and a sliver of her face and Clark's whole profile. Lana was smiling up at him and he reciprocated, lifting a hand to gently touch her cheek. Lois's happy mood instantly morphed into devastation and the sensual ache she usually felt for Clark turned into a painful one. Lana was back and any hope Lois had of Clark feeling even the slightest of what she felt for him crashed into nothing. Her heart ached too much to continue looking at the newly reunited happy couple. She took a breath, put on her famous mask to hide her pain, and made her way to her desk.

The moment Lois walked into the bullpen, Clark's head shot up to look at her. She avoided his eyes and stopped at her desk.

"Hey, Lois," Lana smiled knowingly at Clark.

"Lana! Hi! Wow, I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?" Lois smiled cheerfully, disguising the hurt that burned in her chest.

"I've been great. I had to stop by on my way to California to see everyone. You dyed your hair. This color looks beautiful on you," Lana said genuinely.

"Thanks. This is actually my natural color. The blonde was a rebellious thing to piss my dad off. It worked for a little while until he stopped caring," Lois smiled a little too brightly; it was the mask. "Anyway, I guess you didn't notice too much at Chloe's wedding last year. You were focused on other things." She knew what she meant. Clark knew what she meant. Lana didn't quite catch on.

"Yeah, a lot of things were out of whack back then. The beast and Chloe and Lex. I'm sorry we didn't have time to catch up."

"Well, hey, how long are you in town? We can go out for drinks tonight," Lois said before she could stop herself. The last thing she wanted was to spend any time with the woman who stole Clark from her. Her heart stung a little more. Clark wasn't hers to start with. She wanted to run away and hide under a rock; the thought scared her. She was never this broken over a guy. But Clark wasn't just any guy.

"I would love to, but Clark and I have plans," Lana said.

Ouch. Lois bit the inside of her cheek. "Oh, well, maybe another time, then."

"Lois, you can come with us if you'd like," Clark chimed in.

Her eyes shot up to his and she had to fight the urge to cry. This was just too much. The ache in her chest was about to kill her if she wasn't careful. She looked back at Lana. She was safer. "No," she shook her head with a small smile. "No, that's okay. You two have fun. I have to go home now anyway. I'm not feeling too well and I have stories to write. It'll be easier to work in a quieter environment…like the Talon." She stuffed her folders into her purse and slung it over her shoulder. She pulled her coat off the back of her chair and tossed one more glance at Clark and Lana. "As exciting as I am, I'm sure you'll have more fun without me." She smiled once more before bolting out of the bullpen.

Clark watched her go. Lana softly touched his arm, causing him to look back at her. "You have to tell her, Clark. It'll be even harder if she finds out later and it's too late."

He smiled down at her and nodded his agreement.

(((o)))

Lois had stormed into her apartment; tears were in her eyes, but she steeled herself from letting that particular emotion overcome her. She took a deep breath and dropped her bag on the table before kicking off her heels and heading to the bedroom to change out of her suit. Once she donned a pair of sweats and a flannel shirt, she padded through her kitchenette.

"It was just a lame crush," she tried to tell herself as she grabbed a pint of Rocky Road from the freezer. "A stupid crush. He's the only decent guy within a half a mile radius, which explains the sudden attraction, and it's a mistake I'll never make again." She jabbed her spoon into the container and scooped a large amount of ice cream into her mouth as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Clark would never feel that way…maybe he just misses affection and I'm stupid enough to go along with it because I'm so in love with him."

Lois shook her head, a few more tears escaping her eyes during her rant. She moved over to the couch and sank into the cushions. "Well, Lana's here now. Who knows how long it'll be before she breaks him again," she grumbled, throwing a blanket over her legs. "But if he's happy…" She couldn't stop the ache in her chest, the breaking of her heart wracking her entire body.

She sighed shakily, staring down into her ice cream. It's not like anything ever came easily to her; why expect Clark Kent to fall for her? Loud, bossy, imperfect Lois Lane. "Rocky Road just isn't cutting it," she said brokenly.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Great," she muttered darkly, rising from the couch, and placed the ice cream container on the coffee table. Passing the door, she went to check her appearance in the mirror. The visitor knocked again. "Coming!" she answered irately.

When she opened the door, her heart leaped into her throat. "Clark."

"Lois! I've got something important to tell you," he smiled brightly.

She walked away from the door, heading back to the couch. "Let me guess," she began with a sigh. "You and Lana are continuing the dramatic rollercoaster and decided to get hitched. You know, settle down on the farm, drop the _Planet_ for law enforcement, bring Clark Jr. into the world. It's never too late to prove my prediction right. Just tell me you're not here to rub your happy engagement in my face. I've had a hard enough day without hearing more of the Clark and Lana sappy unhappy love affair." She plopped back down on the couch.

"You don't sound too happy for me," he responded. Her heart dropped even lower. So it was true.

"Sorry, yeah. Of course, I am," she said with a plastic smile, feeling guilty for her harsh comment. "It's just that I know how this usually ends. Most likely with her stomping all over your heart and you brooding."

"I don't brood," he defended himself out of habit.

"Sure, Smallville. And I don't totally kick your ass in Guitar Hero," she tilted her head at him with a sarcastic smirk playing on her lips.

He smiled back and moved to sit beside her on the couch. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over the arm of the couch. "Well, Lana isn't all that bad. She even agreed not to be a bridezilla."

"That I find hard to believe," Lois snorted. She turned to him, hopefully hiding the pain in her eyes as well as she thought she was. "So, when's the wedding?" Her voice barely made it above a whisper.

Clark stretched his arm along the back of the couch. Lois leaned back, wanting to feel his warmth. "In the summer. She wants a sunset wedding."

Lois nodded, looking down at her lap. Tears welled up in her eyes again. Just the thought of Clark getting married to anyone else – and to Lana, of all people – struck her to the core, making it hard for her to breathe. She'd definitely lost her chance. She sniffled quietly, not wanting to make it known she was hurt.

"Lois, what's wrong?" Clark asked quietly, placing his free hand underneath her chin to force her eyes up to his.

A lone tear crept down her cheek and he gently wiped it away. Lois swiped at her cheek and looked away from him. "Nothing."

"There is something I wanted to ask you," he said, his hand brushing against her jaw.

"Anything," she whispered.

"Lana will be coming back from California in a few weeks and I want you to help her with the wedding. Chloe offered to help and you did so well with hers and Jimmy's, I thought it would be a good idea."

Lois bit her lip, another tear falling from her closed eyes. She didn't want any part of this event, but she couldn't tell him and risk hurting him. Clark smiled, but quickly hid it when she opened her eyes again. "Sure," she said.

"Great. Lana will be so happy," he smiled. "Lois, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, Smallville," she smiled as best she could.

"It's not good to hold things in, you know. You might miss your chance to let it out," he said.

She searched his face. She couldn't tell him; it would be wrong to tell him now when he's so happy with the love of his life. "I…I just didn't expect this. I mean, she just only came back and all of a sudden you two are engaged. Isn't that a little fast?"

"Well, it would be if I was the groom," he grinned.

Lois shook her head sadly, before his words sunk in. Her eyes snapped up to his. "What?" she asked utterly confused.

"I said I wasn't the groom. Lana is getting married to a guy named Vincent Keller. She seems very happy with him. She came back to Kansas to invite us all to the wedding, which will be taking place in the summer in California at sunset."

Lois was dumbfounded, then she was relieved, then she was furious. She shrugged away from him and stood up. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she shouted. "Why did you let me believe you were marrying her? Do you enjoy hurting me?"

"Of course not," Clark said, standing up as well.

"Then why did you lie to me? Why didn't you stop me from thinking I was about to lose you to Lana?"

"You would never lose me, Lois. I'll always be here for you," he said, taking a step toward her.

She scoffed and took a step back. "So, what are you going to do? Beg her to take you back tonight at dinner or whatever the hell it is you two are doing?" She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive stance.

"No, I was going to meet her fiancé tonight and Chloe was coming, too. Lana and I are just friends now. We've both moved on. She found someone and so have I."

Her heart sunk again. She wasn't going to lose him to Lana, but to someone else. "You know what? I think I've had enough drama for one night. How about you go and get the girl you're after." She walked toward the front door and opened it for him to leave.

Clark looked at her for a moment. "Okay," he said and left.

Lois closed the door behind him and covered her face with her hands. Her chest wouldn't stop aching. She started to walk back to the couch, but then the door opened behind her. She turned to see Clark stalking towards her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Clark beat her to it.

"It's you," he said simply and claimed her lips with his, kissing her with all he was worth.

Lois gasped and Clark took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She pulled away immediately and stared at him. All his hopes crashed when she pulled away. She didn't feel the same. Feeling dejected, Clark took a step back.

"Lois, I'm sor-"

"What are you doing to me?" she interrupted. "I don't get you!"

"I'm sorry, but if I didn't lie about Lana and me, I would've never known how you felt about me. I could see it in your eyes, or at least I thought I did. Then you started yelling at me and I felt you felt the same as I do. Why else would you get so angry?"

"So you thought you'd humor me?" she asked.

"No!" Clark was getting frustrated. "Lois, it's you. You're the one I'm after. I want you!" _I love you_, he added silently.

"First, you make me hope there was something between us, and then you hurt me by pretending you're with Lana, and now you want me to believe that you really want me?" she asked furiously.

"Lois, I do want you. So much," he said, pleading with his eyes. "Have I told you I ache?" He closed the distance between them. "Have I told you I ache…for you?"

She stared up at him in fear. Things were changing between them rapidly. The ache was back, but it wasn't a painful one. "I ache, too," she replied softly. His left hand came up to cup the side of her neck. "But, what about what I saw in the bullpen earlier?" She removed his hand from her. "You two seemed pretty cozy."

"We were finally getting closure. Trust me, Lois. That chapter of my life is over. The only woman I want is right here in front of me. I want you and if I have to camp out in front of your apartment just to prove it to you, I will. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I just had to be sure of what I saw. I know you feel it, Lois."

"Clark, I don't know what to tell you," she replied.

"Tell me your breath doesn't catch when I touch you," he said softly, brushing his fingertips along her cheek and down her neck. Her eyes closed involuntarily. "Tell me your heart doesn't flutter when I hold you." His arms circled her waist and pressed her into his body, hearing her heartbeat pick up. "Tell me you don't want me to kiss you like this." He leaned down to lay sweet kisses along her throat, making her gasp and clutch at his back. "Tell me you don't ache for me," he whispered in her ear.

Lois leaned back to look at his face. His eyes were clouded over with desire. "I don't…" she said, watching his features morph into rejection. "I don't just ache for you. I can't breathe when you're not with me. I can't think when you smile at me a certain way. I can't control myself when you touch me. I never want you to let me go when you hold me. I don't just want you…"

"I love you," he said softly.

She smiled brightly. "I wanted to say it first."

"Okay, I take it back, then," he said.

"No!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, too."

Clark smiled so wide, he felt his face would split in two. He leaned down and slammed his lips to hers. She happily reciprocated, her arms tightening about his neck. Her heart burst in utter bliss. Clark's hands slid down her back to her ass and gently squeezed it. Lois moaned and pushed against his body. His hands continued down to her thighs, gripping them and hoisting her up onto the counter behind her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed her tongue past his eager lips. His hands squeezed her hips and pulled her closer as her tongue swirled around his. This was flawless…and the ache was beginning to dull as they finally indulged in each other. They parted their mouths only to come back together at a different angle. Lois's fingers began undoing the buttons on his shirt as his hands worked their way under her flannel shirt, which in the back of his mind he was certain she'd stole from him. Nothing mattered outside the way the other tasted or how their hands left burning trails along newly exposed skin; and oh, so much more was to come.

Bliss…their ache turned into pure bliss.

**Hmm…reviews? I think I'd like some.**


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